Showers with unbalanced water supplies

[Robert Inder]

OK, so you lot of put me off "plan A", which was a tidied-out-of-the-way electric shower.

SO I'm looking at Plan B, using water from the hot tank.

But I've got a problem. (Well, you knew that, didn't you, or I wouldn't be posting here:-)

The room we're turning into a bathroom has a hot water feed from the hot tank, with about a 3 metre head.

BUT it only has mains pressure cold. It will be very awkward to get a tank cold feed down into the basement. There is a tiled kitchen floor in the way.

All the mixer showers I have looked at expect roughly even pressure on hot and cold. So it looks like we might be forced back to an electric, because it will run of mains alone.

Is there anything else I can do?

Is there any kind of pressure-reducing device I could use? And don't say "half closed stop c*ck"...

Or would it work to use a plain mixer shower, but with some kind of stand-alone pump on the hot side only?

Thoughts? Suggestions?

Robert.

-- |_) _ |_ _ ._ |- | So what? It's easier for me, so I'll do it! | \(_)|_)(-'| |_ | deadspam.com is a spamtrap. | > > What's wrong with top posting? Use bcs.org.uk instead. | > It makes it hard to see comments in context.

[Rob Bashford]

One of these might do the trick if you have reasonable mains cold water pressure.

OK, so you lot of put me off "plan A", which was a

[TheOldFellow]

Pressure equalising valve: Part Number 16711 at

what you need.

R.

[Sparks]

Single impeller pump on the hot water, so you end up with a power shower, assuming you have good mains pressure?

Note, you MUST NOT pump the mains feed....

You should also install a double check valve on the cold, so you pump cant back-feed the mains supply.

Not sure if this solution is allowed, but with a double check valve, I cant see why not...

Sparks...

[Owain]

Yes. Stuart Turner shower pump. Other makes are available but not often recommended.

Actually, if it's in the basement of a moderately tall house, you might have enough head on the hot, if your mains isn't too strong, for it to be in near enough balance for a proper thermostatic mixer.

Owain

[David Hansen]

On 16 May 2007 17:58:58 +0100 someone who may be Robert Inder wrote this:-

Three metres from where to where? Do you live in the ground floor and basement of a much taller house perhaps?

Others have mentioned venturi showers. There are not many of these but take a look at the requirements before buying one. In the right place they work well.

[Andrew Gabriel]

Thermostatic showers designed for Multipoint/Combi use expect high pressure cold and anything from low to high pressure hot. However, they might not be designed for a situation where backfeeding the hot is possible, so you will probably need to check installation instructions carefully before selecting one.

[auctions]

Venturi shower is definitely the way to go. Much simpler than a pump, and very effective.

A

[Logician]

Venturi works for some systems, but not all. They are size requirements to enough water through the system. Check with Trevi (ideal standard) - 01482 346 461

If you choose a pump, get a good one - that means Watermill, Stuart Turner, or Salamander and make sure you have a pressure reducing valve if using cold mains.

Trevor

- Bathroom Advice

[Logician]

Also Watermill and Salamander and main brands and quoted as being quieter. See db ratings, but many people complain about Stuart Turner pumps being noisey.

Trevor

- Bathroom Advice